Boleslaw Lesmian

Bolesław Leśmian (real name - Lesman), a Polish poet (born in Warsaw on 22 january 1877, died 5 november 1937). He hes spent his childhood in Kijow, Ukraine, where he also finished law studies (1901). Then he has been travelling around the Europe, living p. ex. in Paris, Warsaw, Munchen. His debiut were poems published by Warsaw's kultural magasin "Wędrowiec" (The Traveller) in 1895. His poetry, written either in Polish or in Russian, wasn't very well welcomed by the critics.

Leśmian had a special talent in writing poems (he has also written several eseis and fables), his poetry is very original and different from any other polish writer from that period of time. Later, after his death, he has been called 'one of the greatest polish poets ever' and certainly one of the most interesting artists creating between the first and the second world war. An autor of very many interesting neologisms that are commonly used in Polish language until now.

His major works:

• SAD ROZSTAJNY, Warsaw 1912
• KLECHDY SEZAMOWE, Warsaw 1913
• ŁĄKA, Warsaw 1920
• NAPÓJ CIENISTY, Warsaw 1936
• DZIEJBA LEŚNA, Warsaw 1938
• KLECHDY POLSKIE, London 1956
• SKRZYPEK OPĘTANY, Warsaw 1985
• POCHMIEL KSIĘŻYCOWY (poetry in Russian), Warsaw 1987
• ZDZICZENIE OBYCZAJÓW POŚMIERTNYCH, Cracow 1998